SPOKANE, Wash. – There may not be an official Northwest Conference men's basketball championship this season, but Whitworth pulled out an 81-76 win over Pacific Lutheran in what felt like a championship atmosphere on Sunday afternoon at the Whitworth Fieldhouse.
The Pirates improved to 12-5 overall and 8-2 in the NWC while the Lutes fell to 7-3, 7-3. All three of PLU's losses have come to Whitworth this season. The Lutes' season is complete, while the Bucs will finish with a pair of home games against Whitman College next weekend.
The first half featured five lead changes and wide swings in momentum. Tyler Ashmore's basket halfway through gave PLU a 24-17 lead. The Pirates answered with a 14-3 run, capped by Garrett Paxton's three-pointer, to go in front 31-27. In fact, Whitworth was in the midst of making four straight three-pointers, including a pair by Brad Lackey, to go up 37-30 for its largest lead of the half. The Lutes answered with three consecutive treys of their own, capped by Seth Hall's fourth of the half, to retake the lead 39-37. The Lutes led 41-39 at the break. PLU made 62.5% of its first half field goals and 64% of its three-pointers, but only led by two points.
Brett Williams made a three for the Lutes in the opening minutes of the second half for a 45-41 lead, but Liam Fitzgerald answered with back-to-back trey's for Whitworth to put the Pirates in front 47-45. Whitworth would never trail again. A Kea Vargas three-pointer increased the margin to 57-50 and Rowan Anderson made it 62-53 with just under ten minutes left. The Lutes got back within 62-58 on Sam Noland's three-pointer, but the Pirates stretched their lead to 72-61 on Lackey's jumper with 5:29 to play.
PLU was able to close within 77-74 on Hall's three-point play in the final 30 seconds, but Rowan Anderson and Vargas went 4-4 at the free throw line down the stretch.
The Lutes cooled off in the second half, making only 40% from the field and 27% (4-15) from three-point range. Meanwhile Whitworth shot 54% overall and 5-9 from beyond the arc after halftime.
Fitzgerald scored 21 points and Lackey finished with 20 to lead the Pirates in scoring. Paxton added 13, Miguel Lopez had 11 and Vargas scored 10 for five players in double figures. Vargas also led the Bucs with a career-high eight rebounds.
Hall led PLU with 20 points, while Jordan Thomas finished with 16 points, six rebounds and four assists. Tyler Ashmore totaled 15 points and six boards with Williams chipping in 11 points.